Wire cleaning device



Nov. 7, 1939. F. P. LEAHEY WIRE CLEANING DEVICE Filed April 23, 1938 &

Few/v05 Patented N... 1, 1939 2,178,912

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE CLEANING DEVICE Francis P. Leahey, Worcester, Mass., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 23, 1938, Serial No. 203,943

6 Claims. (Cl. 51-150) This invention relates to a cleaning or wiping ing a flanged portion on one end thereof by device, and particularly to a device for cleaning which it is attached to the inner end wall of continuous length stock, such as wire and the the container 2, a smaller flanged portion or like. collar 6 on the outer end thereof, and an axial In the process of wet wire-drawing, an oxide opening I through the center thereof through 5 film, coating or thin scale is formed on the surwhich the continuous length wire 8 is adapted to face of the wire which is very undesirable in pass. There is arranged on the annular member that it interferes with succeeding finishing oper- 4 a movable sliding collar 9 having a plurality ations thereon. This is particularly objectionof hooks I0 extending inwardly toward the center 10 able to wire that is to receive a coating of of the container. There is also positioned on 10 enamel. Heretofore, this film or coating has this annular collar 4, between the sliding collar usually been removed by annealing; but this 9 and the small outer flanged end 6 of collar 4 involves excess handling and increases the proa coil spring I]. duction time which is, of course, very expensive On the inner wall of the opposite end of the as well as inconvenient. container, there is arranged a similar sleeve- 15 According to the present invention, this film like annular member l2 having a flanged end or coating can be removed from the surface of l by wh ch it is attached to the inner endthe wire by placing the improved wiping or clean wall of the container 2. There is arranged withing device of my invention in a suitable location in this annular member a rotatable sleeve-like in the production line, preferably immediately w sting member 4 having a flange portion I5 20 after the wire-drawing machine and allowing on the outer end thereof which is adapted to the wir to pass therethrough, abut against the outer end of the annular mem- It is an object of this invention to provide an I d a al Opening 2 through which improved wiping device which quickly and inthe wire is adapted to pass. This outer flanged expensively cleans the surface of continuous P t earries a plurality of hooks l6 eXtend- 25 length wire. ing inwardly toward the center of the container, It is another object of the invention to provide Similar to the hooks The twisting d M an adjustable wiping device for cleaning wir is of such length that it extends through the and the like which will adjust itself relative to outer wall of the container and has positioned th wire as it passes continuously therethrough, thereon, outside the end of the container, pref- 30 Various other objects and advantages of this ll a Washer a a handle twisting invention will more fully appear during the wheel l8 held thereon preferably y means of course of the following specificationand will be a lock nut l9. There is arran between each particularly pointed out in the appended claims. of e opp y p d oo d Port ons H1 at In the accompanying drawing, I hav h w one end of the container IS on the opposite end 35 for the purpose of illustration, one embodiment of the Container, cord-like fabric Wipers p which my invention may assume in practice, erably made of cotton or some other cellulose In the drawing: material. Figure 1 is a plan of the im r v d cleaning The improved wiping and cleaning device of to device of my invention; my invention operates as follows: 40

Figure 2 is a section tak n n lin 11-11; of A wire 8 is fed, preferably from the wire-draw- Figure 1; ing machine, into the container, through the Figure 3 is a section taken on li II-.111 of opening 22 in the annular twisting member [4, Figur 2, and, through the abrasive material or sand therein, Figure 4 i a cti n tak on lin IV V of through the opening 1 in the opposite end of the 45 Figure 2. container, and out of the container to a wire- The improved wiping and cleaning devi of drawing block or to the next operation. After my invention, as shown in'the drawing, -comthe wire is properly threaded and positioned in prises an elongated rectangular shaped box or the container, the cord like lengths of cotton or container 2 made from any suitable material, fabric material are suitably twisted around the 50 preferably of metal, which is adapted to hold a O t r Surface t ereo by turning the handle is. quantity of loose abrasive material 3, preferably The lengths of wiping material are wrapped very fine sand or the like. At one end of the around the wire in such a manner that they allow container and on the inside thereof, there is the loose particles of sand or abrasive material to arranged a sleeve-like annular member 4 havfall between the wrappings, thereby allowing the 55 wire to pick up these loose particles as it passes therethrough, cooperating with the wrappings of the lengths of material to clean the film or scale from the wire. After the lengths of wiping material have been properly twisted and wrapped about the wire, the twisting head I4 is locked in position by means of a locking machine screw 23 carried by the annular member 12. It will be seen that as the twisting head I4 is rotated to twist the lengths of wiping material about the wire, the sliding collar 9 will move to the left against the action of the coil spring H carried by the annular member 4, thereby keeping the lengths of wiping material taut and securely wrapped about the wire. The wire is then drawn continuously through the device to clean the surface of the wire.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that this improved wiping device can be located at any desirable point in the production line and the ,wire conveniently and efficiently cleaned without removing the wire therefrom for the purposes of cleaning by annealing or any other conventional means.

While I have shown and described an embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended-claims.

I claim:

1. A- cleaning device of the class described comprising a container for holding a quantity of loose abrasive material, a plurality of lengths of fibrous material and a means for holding and twisting the lengths of said fibrous material around the article to be cleaned so as to completely encircle and contact the outer surface thereof, said fibrous material adapted to cooperate with said abrasive to clean the surface of the article as it passes therethrough.

2. A cleaning device of the class described comprising a container for holding a quantity of loose abrasive material, a fibrous material, means for holding and twisting said fibrous material around the article to be cleaned so as to completely 'encircle and contact the outer surface thereof, said fibrous material adapted to cooperate with said abrasive to clean the surface of the article as it passes therethrough.

3. A cleaning device of the class described comprising a container for holding a quantity of loose abrasive material, a plurality of lengths of fibrous material, means for holding theends of each of said lengths of fibrous material in said container, at least one of said holding means being yieldable, andmeam for twisting said fibrous material around the article to be cleaned so that said fibrous material completely encircles and contacts the outer surface thereof, said fibrous material adapted to cooperate with said abrasive to clean the surface of the article as it passes therethrough.

4. A cleaning device of the class described comprising a plurality of lengths of fibrous material, means for holding and twisting said material around the article to be cleaned so as to completely encircle and contact the outer surface thereof, said fibrous material adapted to clean the surface of said article as it passes therethrough.

5. Apparatus for cleaning a continuous length article including, in combination, an elongated container for holding a quantity of loose abrasive material, an elongated member of pliable material arranged in said container, yieldable means arranged on the delivery end of said container to which one end of said pliable material is attached, and a rotatable means arranged on the opposite receiving end of said container to which the opposite end of said pliable material is attached, said pliable material adapted to be twisted around the continuous length article against the action of said yieldable means upon rotation of said rotatable means so that said pliable material will completely encircle and bear against the outer surface thereof, whereby said pliable material will cooperate with the abrasive material in said container to clean the surface of the article as it is continuously drawn therethrough.

6. Apparatus for cleaning a continuous length article including, in combination, an elongated rectangular shaped container for holding a quantity of loose abrasive material, a sleeve-like annular member securely arranged on the delivery end of said container through which the continuous length article is adapted to pass and be delivered therefrom, a movable member yieldably mounted on said sleeve-like annular. member, a similar rotatable sleeve-like annular member arranged on the opposite receiving end of said container through which the continuous length article is adapted to pass into the container, and an elongated member of pliable material arranged in said container and having one end thereof connected to the movable member mounted on said sleeve-like annular member at the delivery end of the container and the opposite end thereof attached to the rotatable sleevelike annular member at the receiving end of said container, said pliable material adapted to be twisted around the continuous length article against the action of said movable yieldable member uponrotation of said rotatable sleevelike annular member so that said pliable material will completely encircle and bear firmly against the outer surface thereof, whereby said pliable material will cooperate with the abrasive material in said container to clean the surface of the article as it is continuously drawn therethrough.

FRANCIS P. LEAHEY. 

